Closure



March 17, 1942. H. w. SANFORD 2,276,907

CLOSURE Filed May 12, 1937 11 o .5 I LUII/ Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNITED l STATES- PATENT OFFICE Hugh W. Sanford, Knoxville, Tenn. Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,251

8 Claims.

with an effective air-tight seal for the contents An object of this invention is to improve the effectiveness of the seal of a closure for a container to maintain an air-tight condition of said container either as an original seal or when resealed'after opening of the container, by the operation of the cap piece pinching a sealing washer or sealing ring against the neck of the container or a shoulder thereon, so as to produce a check-valve action by the washer or ring, which will utilize the pressure of the fluid acting thereon to maintain the sealing action.

Another object of the invention is to provide for effectively sealing up canned or bottled goods, and in the case of liquids under gas pressure, provision is made by which the pressure acts to maintain the 'seal of the closure for effectively rescaling the can or bottle after a portion of the contents has been withdrawn.

The invention is shown in different embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of the top portion of a can, showing one form of this invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional through on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a slightly modified form of the invention applied to a bottle; and

Fig. 4 is the similar view showing a further view theremodified form thereof.

It will be understood that this invention is adapted to be applied either to a can or to a bottle, and that the different embodiments of the invention shown, applied on one or the other is not restricted thereto but may be used on either.

The can structure illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a body portion A, with a conical top portion Al, joined together by the usual crimped seal A2, or these may be made integral wherever the closure is capable of being applied and sealed so as to be in the 'extemal and internal surfaces thereof, and the upper edge of the neck4 has an inturned annular flange 5, provided with a discharge opening therein for dispensing the contents of the can. A ring 6 is screwed into the inner side of the neck 4, having an inturned annular flange I at its upper edge extending substantially parallel with the flange 5 and forming a shoulder in the neck 4, said flange I having a central opening of approximately the same area and extent as the opening in the flange 5.

Ribs 8 may be formed on the ring 6 by inturned portions thereof to facilitate turning the ring in screwing the same into the neck. A cap a of the screw and be screwed upon the neck a in rigidly secured and adjustable relation thereon, and the cap 9 has a central depressed reentrant portion luwhich extends into the opening in the iange a with a crack therebetween.

A sealing ring it of cork, rubber, paper, or other suitable soft compressible yielding sealing material is v clamped or pinched between the flanges 5 and l, projecting inwardly beyond the openings therein in position to have the depressed or reentrant portion IU of the cap :1 press iirmly thereagainst and the inner portion oi said sealing ring ll underlies the opening or crack between said depressed portion and the inner edge of the flange 5, so as to seal said opening or crack and be acted upon by any gas pressure within the container in the nature of a checkvalve to increase and maintain said seal. In order to get aproper pinching effect on the sealing ring II, the inner diameter of the flange l of said ring is substantially coextensive with the inner diameter of the flange 5, thereby holding the sealing ring in the proper position 'to underlie the crack between the screw cap 8 and the pouring opening in the can. Thus the under surface of the sealing ring is exposed to any gas pressure in the can and is pressed there'- type is provided to extend over by over the crack to form an effective seal therefor.

In assembling the closure in this manner, it will be closed and sealed before the can top Al is joined to the body A of the can, as required by the inner disposition of the ring neck of the can top.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, a ring-14 is crimped around the lip B2 of the bottle, or otherwise fastened to the neck thereof, either permanently or removably as. desired. This ring I4 may be secured in place in the usual manner of fastening a crimped crown cap. The ring I4 is provided with an upstanding threaded neck portion 15, into which a screw cap I6 is threaded and adjustably secured. The ring l4 has an inturned shoulder portion l1, joining the same to the neck l5.

A resilent sealing ring I8 is arranged in clamped relation between the shoulder portion H and the end of the bottle neck Bl, with the inner diameter of the sealing ring l8 less than the outer diameter of the screw cap l6, so as to underlie the joint or crack between the periphery of said screw cap and the adjacent portion of the neck I5. When the screw cap I6 is adjusted into place, it pinches the sealing ring against the shoulder formed by the upper inner portion of the lip B2, to prevent leakage around the ring, setting up a check-valve action thereby, such that the gas pressure in the container will act on the sealing ring to maintain a tight seal thereof over the crack.

The crimping of the ring l4 on the bottle lip B2 clamps the sealing ring l8 therebetween sufficient to prevent the leakage around the sealing ring under pressure, but any suitable means may be provided for securing the closure ring to the container as desired.

In Fig. 4, a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 3 is provided, embodying a main ringreceiving a screw cap 45, which is threaded therein, and being provided with a sealing ring 46, clamped between the end of the bottle neck BI, and the main closure ring 44, but being shown somewhat thinner than the sealing ring of Fig. 3. Interposed between the sealing rin 6 within the t6 and the end of the screw cap is a thin easily broken disc 41, of suitable material which will form an efiective seal and yet will break readily when the cap is unscrewed, which disc may be formed of tinfoil, waxed paper, or the like. The disc 41 extends beyond the crack around the screw cap 45, and is clamped with the sealing ring 46 between the end of the bottle neck and the closure ring 44 by the crimping of the closure ring on the bottle.

The center portion of the disc 4'! preferably is glued or otherwise secured to the end of the screw cap 45, so that the removal of the screw cap will break out the middle of the disc 41, perforating the same to permit discharge of the liquid in the container. The use of this disc will insure complete sealing of the closure, making it absolutely certain that there can be no leakage until the container is opened. After partial removal of the contents, the screw cap 45 can be screwed back into place, catching the sealing ring 46, substantially as described above will effectively seal the crack around the screw cap with the proper sealing pressure, thus holding the cap against leakage of gas pressure or the liquid contained therein by a check-valve action between said sealing ring and cap.

-As illustrated in the drawing, the parts of the closure are so proportioned that the inner portion of the cap engages and bears against the sealing ring or disc before said cap engages the adjacent portion of the neck or crimped ring, so that the inward screwing of the cap is stopped by the pinching of the sealing ring or disc rather than .by engagement of said cap with the neck or crimped ring. This pinching of the sealing ring or disc stops the inward screwing of the cap.

The sealing ring or sealing disc is soft and said receptacle, a'rigid member securely, adjustably and removably engaged with said outlet por tion and at least in part constituting a closure member when closed for preventing the escape of the fluid from the receptacle, said closure member having a leakable crack between itself and said outlet portion with relatively smooth surfaces on opposite sides of said crack, a flexible substantially yieldable annular sealing ring spanning said crack through its entire length and bearing in uninterrupted contact with the surfaces on opposite sides of said crack providing a seal therefor to prevent the escape of fluid under pressure through said crack when said closure member is in closed and engaged position, a shoulder secured in fixed relation to the neck portion underlying the periphery of the ring and the outlet portion surface and cooperating therewith to secure the ring in fixed position, said shoulder being substantially beneath the crack and cooperating with the closure member surface adjacent the crack to pinch the ring therebetween, said sealing ring being in position to be forced by the fluid pressure against the surfaces on both sides of said crack so as to press against said surfaces with pressure in proportion to the internal fluid pressure whereby the greatest internal pressure that the remainder of the receptacle can withstand will be sealed against leakage of the fluid through said crack when the closure member is securely adjusted.

2. The combination with a container having an opening, of a closure structure therefor including a neck portion connected with the container about saidopening, said neck portion communicating with said container opening and forming'a discharge passage, a removable closure for said passage having an adjustable interlocking connection with the neck portion for positively securing the same on the container, said closure and neck portion forming a peripheral joint therebetween, annular flexible sealing means positioned on the inside of said closure contacting the same and overlapping said joint throughout and sealing the same, and means for fixedly securing said sealing means to the neck portion and container, said securing means including an annular shoulder beneath the sealing means and the peripheral edge of the closure and fixed relative to the neck portion and securing said sealing means to said neck portion, said closure being adjustable to position the inner side thereof adjacent said joint either flush with the upper surface of said sealing means in normal an opening of a closure structure therefor including a neck portion attached to the container about said opening, said neck portion communieating with said container opening and forming a discharge passage, a removable closure for saidpassage having an adjustable interlocking connection with the neck portion forpositively securing the same on the container, said closure and neck portion forming a peripheral joint therebetween, a resilient ring positioned on the shoulder beneath the resilient ring and the peripheral edge of the closure and fixed relative to the neck portion and securing said resilient ring inside of said closure contacting the same and overlapping said joint throughout and sealing the same, and means for fixedly securing said ring directly to the neck portion and container, said securing means including an annular shoulder beneath the resilient ring and the peripheral edge of the closure and fixed relative to the neck portion and securing said resilient ring to said neck portion, said closure being adjustable to position the inner side thereof adjacent said joint either flush with the upper surface of said ring in normal position or below said normal position, whereby said resilient ring is pinched between the closure and said shoulder by the adjustable securing of said closure to the neck portion.

4. The combination with a container having an opening, of a closure structure therefor including a neck portion attached to the container about said opening, said neck portion communieating with said container opening and forming a discharge passage, a'removable closure for said passage having an adjustable rotary clamping connection with the neck portion and having an inner end extending into said discharge opening of the container, said closure and neck portion forming a peripheral joint therebetween, a resilient ring positioned on the inside of said closure contacting the same and overlapping said joint throughout and sealing the same, and means for fixedly securing said sealing ring directly to the neck portion and container, said securing means including an annular shoulder beneath the sealing ring and the peripheral edge of the closure and fixed relative to the neck portion and securing said resilient ring to said neck portion, said closure being adjustable to position the inner side thereof adjacent said joint either flush with the upper surface of said ring in normal position or below said normal position, whereby said ring is pinched between the closure and said shouldenby the securing of said closure to the neck portion.

5. The combination with a container having an opening, of a closure structure therefor including a neck portion attached to the containerabout said opening, said neck portion communieating with said container opening and forming a discharge passage, a removable closure for said passage having a screw-threaded connection with the container for adjustably and positively securing the same on the container and said closure having an inner end extending into the opening with a crack therebetween, said closure and neck portion forming a peripheral joint therebetween, a resilient ring positioned on the inside of said closure contacting the same and overlapping said joint throughout and sealing the same, and means for fixedly securing said sealing ring directly to the neck portion and container, said securing means including an annular to said neck portion, said closure being adjustable to position the inner side thereof adjacent said joint either flush with the upper surface of said ring in normal position or below said normal position, whereby said sealing ring is pinched between the closure and said shoulder by the adjustable securing of said closure to the container, said ring having the portion thereof overlapping the joint between the container and the closure free to flex outward in response to fluid pressure in the container to seal said crack between said portlons.

6. The combination with a container having an annular shoulder defining an opening therein, of a closure structure for said opening including a neck portion connected with the container 1 about the opening, said neck portion communieating with said container opening and forming a discharge passage, a removable closure for said passage having an adjustable interlockingconnection with the neck portion for positively securing the same on the neck portion movable toward and from said annular shoulder, the transverse cross sectional area of the closure being substantiallythe same size as the opening defined by said annular shoulder, annular flexible sealing means on the inner side of said closure overlapping uninterruptedly the inner peripheral edge of the annular shoulder and the outer peripheral edge of the inner end of the closure, and means for fixedly securing said sealing means between the neck portion and annular ,shoulder, said closure being adjustable to position the inner peripheral edge thereof flush with the upper surface of the sealing means in normal position or below said normal position whereby said sealing means is pinched between the closure and said shoulder by the adjustable securing of said closure to the neck portion.

7. A container and closure structure capable of holding carbonated beverage pressures and to be resealed, comprising a neck portion having a passage therethrough and having a peripheral shoulder, removable closure cap means for said passage having awedgingly adjustable and positive interlocking connection with the neck portion for securing the same thereon positively and movable toward and from the peripheral shoulder, said structure having a substantially annular crack between the closure cap means and the neck portion with relatively smooth surfaces on opposite sides thereof approximately in a common plane, an annular flexible substantially yieldable sealing ring inwardly of said closure cap means and having a relatively smooth surface spanning said crack in uninterrupted overlapping contacting relation with adjacent portions of both smooth surfaces on opposite sides of the crack, said ring'having the opening thereof in open communication with the container and being so dimensioned that it is clamped upon said shoulder by the adjustment of the cap means on the neck portion, whereby a seal is provided 8. A closure structure comprising a neck portion having a passage therethrough and having a rigid peripheral shoulder fixed relative thereto, removable closure means for said passage having an adjustable interlocking connection with the neck portion for positively securing the same on the neck portion and movable toward and from the peripheral shoulder, said closure structure having a crack between said removable closure means and said neck portion, a flexible substantially yieldable annular sealing ring inwardly of said removable closure means spanning said crack and overlapping uninterruptedly adjacent portions of both the shoulder and the removable closure means, said ring being so dimensioned relative thereto that it is bodily pinched between said shoulder and closure means by the adjustment of the closure means on the neck portion providing a seal for said crack to prevent the escape of fluid under pressure through said crack when said removable closure is in closed position, and means for holding said sealing ring in position for sealing action over said crack by the adjustable connection of the closure means with the neck portion.

7 HUGH W. SANFORD. 

